DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Despite only a five-point deficit entering halftime for the Keene State College women's basketball team, KSC was unable to get going in the second half as the Owls scored just 11 points across the final 20 minutes and KSC was unable to give the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point their first loss of the season, being defeated 73-42 in the Florida Sunshine Shootout.

Records

• Keene State: 7-3 (2-0 LEC)
• Wisconsin-Stevens Point: 11-0 (0-0 WIAC)

How it Happened


The Pointers started the scoring in the first quarter on a 13-4 run as Kiley Bundy and Brynn Rautiola each scored a basket for the Owls over the first five minutes of the contest. Rautiola tallied all eight points for the Owls in part of their 8-2 run over the next three minutes to pull within three points of the Pointers. Despite pulling within three, Bundy scored the lone point for the Owls the remainder of the opening quarter and Stevens Point scored seven more points to take a 22-13 lead into the second quarter.
 
After Ruby Dasaro scored on the Owls' opening possession of the second quarter, Stevens Point increased their lead to 16 over the opening 2:27 of the second from a 9-0 scoring run. Both teams traded a basket halfway through the quarter and in the closing three minutes of the opening half the Owls went on a 14-3 run heading into the half. Rautiola led the Owls with seven of their 14 points, while Dasaro scored four and Avery Stewart hit a three as KSC pulled within five after the opening half.
 
Stevens Point opened the second half on a 13-0 run to increase their lead to 18 with 5:37 remaining in the third. Bella Schultz-Mitchell scored the first of three points for KSC in the third with a free throw shortly after to end the scoring run for the Pointers. It did not take long for Stevens Point to have another run on the attack as they had another scoring run this time scoring 11 points over a four-minute span. With under 20 minutes remaining Stewart made a pair of free throws to close out the third as the Pointers took a 60-34 lead into the final 10 minutes of action.
 
The final quarter of action was by far the lowest scoring of the day as 21 points were scored, favoring the Pointers 13-8. Stevens Point opened the fourth with five points over the opening two minutes, but across the following two minutes KSC responded right back with five of their own from a three from Savanna Scali and a pair of free throws from Schultz-Mitchell. After Stevens Point scored a tip-in on the ensuing possession, neither team scored for over 2:35 until they tacked on another basket to increase the lead to 30. In the final few minutes, KSC tacked on three more points, with Schultz-Mitchell scoring one more free throw and then Anna Brown making a layup at the buzzed for the Owls to cut the final score to 73-42.
 
Inside the Paint

• Rautiola led the Owls with 17 points over 28 minutes, shooting 60% (6-for-10) from the field and 50% (2-for-4) from three, and 75% (3-for-4) at the line.
• Schultz-Mitchell and Scali tied for the team-high in rebounds with four boards apiece in the game.
• Schultz-Mitchell and Stewart each hit a three apiece, to go with two from Rautiola as the Owls combined to shoot 17.4% (4-for-23) from beyond the arc.
• Stevens Point capitalized on the Owls' 14 turnovers with 19 points off 14 turnovers, while KSC only scored nine points off turnovers even though the Pointers had 19 turnovers in the contest.

 
Up Next


Keene State returns to action on short rest as the Owls take on Framingham State University on Tuesday, December 30, at 4:00 PM.
Stevens Point kicks off conference action next on the road against the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Saturday, January 3, at 5:00 PM.